A Geiger counter records counts from a steady source in
PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Scientific Practice & Experimental Methods · Mathematical Methods for Physics · Uncertainty in measurement
Mathematical Methods for Physics, Ch Probability, random variables and distributions
Problem
A Geiger counter records 2500 counts from a steady source in 50s, with the decays independent and the source rate constant over the measurement.
((a)) Estimate the standard deviation of the count and the fractional uncertainty in the count rate.
((b)) Estimate how long the source must be counted to bring the fractional uncertainty down to 0.5 per cent, assuming the rate stays constant.